Guest post by: David Marin

Author of This is US: The New ALL-AMERICAN Family, David Marin appears at the Wordstock Festival on Sunday, October 9 at 3pm on the Wieden+Kennedy Stage and as part of the conversation Writer as American Citizen on Sunday, October 9 at 5pm on the National Endowments for the Arts Stage.

Since my last blog, we learned that This is US – The New All-American Family will be featured in the November, 2011 issue of Reader’s Digest magazine – worldwide, 17 million copies, in 21 languages. That’s a lot languages and about 11 more than I can even name. More meaningful, now that the book is out – it’s about me adopting three Mexican-American children abandoned by felons in Santa Barbara County – I’m getting reviews (www.thisisus-davidmarin.com) and feedback that make me think the book might make a difference. The nights I spent trying to write perfect sentences produced several. I’ve solved the old riddle about putting a chimpanzee in front of a typewriter.

I write about the left behind, the poor and tempest tossed – the children no one wants – for them there’s no lamp by the golden door. Those children are my children now. The message in This is US is that all children if given a chance, more than they had before, can thrive if surrounded by love and food they can eat when they want.

I hope to see you soon. Please stop by the Exterminating Angel Press booth and say hello. It will be my pleasure.

More information about David Marin and his book can be found at www.thisisus-davidmarin.com